ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD

THE rugby mascot puzzle has finally been put to bed!

Over the past few weeks, opinion has been divided over the identity of a schoolboy mascot pictured in my page with the victorious Saints team of 1926, posing with the Lancashire Cup.

That celebratory shot appeared on January 8. And now we have positive confirmation that this little chappie was named Harry Wilson, who sadly died in 1980. He'd have been pushing 80 had he survived until now.

The interesting info comes from a reliable source - Harry's landlord son, Terry (50) whose Musketeer pub (formerly the British Volunteer) is something of a pictorial shrine to the Rugby League code.

Among Terry's personal gallery of team-shots is one almost identical to the one I published, except that his dad (looking rather doleful in the picture I published) this time bears a happier expression.

It was originally on display at the Wilsons' old family home in O'Keeffe Road, Fingerpost, and one of Terry's earliest childhood memories is of seeing it proudly hanging on the wall there when visiting his grandparents.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.